Ma Belle
by Imaginative-Wandering
Summary: Marinette and Adrien are going on a date. Adrien decided that it was time to stop chasing after Ladybug and give himself a shot at being happy. However, their date takes a turn when Volpina shows back up in search of Adrien's heart.
1. I Got a Date!

He was in love with her, and, yet, it felt like cheating. Adrien's heart belonged to Ladybug. She'd always been his love, but lately he'd been noticing this girl named Marinette at his school. She had the most beautiful blue hair, and he always smiled at how flustered she acted around him.

Adrien looked down at his phone to see a call from the girl he was thinking of. He was curious to see what she had to say, even if he'd be late for fencing practice.

"Hello?" he asked curiously. A small, nervous voice spoke up from the other end of the phone line.

"A-Adrien?" the voice asked. "H-hi! I was actually w-wondering if you maybe kinda...ummmmm...wanted to like go see a movie...together?" Marinette squeaked out. Adrien grinned happily.

Ladybug didn't even seem to care that he existed, but here was a beautiful and caring girl who was asking him on a date. Maybe Chat Noir and Ladybug weren't meant to be. He figured that he owed it to himself to at least try to move on.

"I think that sounds great!" he agreed happily. The line went completely quiet. "Marinette?" he questioned.

"You said yes?" she whispered. "S-sorry, I didn't expect that."

He laughed, "I'll meet you at the school around seven?"Marinette almost passed out from shock.

"Seven is wonderful," she agreed. "See you!" Marinette said quickly before she lost her nerve and took it back.

"I'm going on a date with Adrien!" Marinette squealed to Tikki as soon as she got off the phone. Tikki just giggled at the girl's excitement. She really hadbeen given to one of the best girls in Paris.

"What are you planning to do?" Tikki asked curiously. Marinette grinned and started looking for something to wear.

"We're supposed to be going to the movies, and I thought we could see that new superhero movie that came out," Marinette told her. Tikki laughed.

"Don't you get enough of superheros in your life?" she asked teasingly. Marinette rolled her eyes.

"As long as Chat Noir doesn't show up, then I think I'll be okay," Marinette replied. Tikki smiled, but before she could answer someone knocked on the door to Marinette's loft.

"MARINETTE! Why didn't you tell me you had a date with Adrien?!" Marinette laughed as she heard Alya's voice. "Nino just gave me the scoop!" Marinette hurried over and unlocked the door in the floor to let her best friend up.

"I'm sorry, Alya! I just got home, and I've barely had time to process it," Marinette explained. Alya smiled and grabbed her arms excitedly.

"That's alright, girl! We should get started right now on everything for your date," Alya ordered.

Marinette ran through the movie plan, and told her everything about how it happened. Alya winked appreciatively.

"Way to go, Marinette! If you're at a movie, you won't have to talk a whole lot. Your stutter shouldn't be a problem," Alya realized. Marinette perked up. She hadn't even thought about that, but it made her feel a lot less nervous.

"Now, let the master do her work. We'll have you fixed up and date ready in no time," Alya said confidently. Marinette sat while Alya worked on her hair and makeup. She had to admit, she looked pretty nice when Alya was done.

"How about we put you in something red? It _is_ the most romantic color," Alya suggested. Marinette had a brief flash of being Ladybug, but she shrugged it off with a smile.

"I think red sounds perfect," Marinette agreed. Alya put Marinette in a long red top and a pair of black jeans. Marinette glared at her pocketbook when she heard a tiny giggle coming from it.

"What was that?" Alya looked around suspiciously. Marinette laughed nervously.

"It was probably just the wind," Marinette lied. Alya just shrugged and shook it off.

"You're ready," Alya announced. "I won't be in your ear helping you this time. Just be yourself, and you've got this, Marinette." Marinette took a deep breath. She was ready.

ccoocc

She was totally not ready. Marinette was walking around nervously in front of the school around five minutes before seven. Tikki looked at her worriedly.

"It's going to be okay, Marinette. Just pretend you're talking to a friend. He already knows you, so just be yourself," Tikki comforted her.

"Marinette!" Adrien called when he got to the school. Marinette turned around to see him walking up behind her.

"H-hi," Marinette said meekly. Adrien held out his arm with a smile.

"Shall we get going then, milady?" Adrien asked. Marinette shyly took his arm, without even noticing the way he said milady.

The two walked arm in arm to the subway. Adrien talked about a lot of things on the way there. Marinette was content to stay silent, since she knew she'd probably trip over her words.

Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. After the two got on the subway, Lila happened to be siting near where they were standing. Hawk Moth saw her jealousy and took the opportunity to send her another akuma.

"There's no way I'm letting Adrien get away from me this time," Lila said to herself. She got off the train and disappeared before turning into Volpina again.

"What movie did you want us to see?" Adrien asked when they got to the movie theater. Marinette looked at her shoes.

"I w-was thinking we could maybe see _The Artist,"_ Marinette said, referencing the newest superhero movie. Adrien smiled brightly.

"Awesome! I've really been wanting to watch it, but no one else seemed interested," he told her excitedly. Marinette blushed and mentally high-fived herself.

"Stop right there!" Volpina ordered. The two turned around to see the akumatized Lila standing behind them.

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other. They were both trying to figure out how to get away to transform. Before they could do anything, Volpina pointed at Adrien.

"You're coming with me, Adrien," Volpina announced. "If I can't be with you, then no one can have you!"

"Lilaaaaaa!" Adrien yelled as Volpina took off with his arm in her hand. Marinette started to panic, but she managed to keep calm.

"Tikki, spots on!" she yelled. "Chat Noir better show up soon," she muttered and took off after the two.

 _I'm really excited about this story! I think it's going to turn out pretty well, and I've got so many plans for the next chapter. Let me know if you want me to continue! Thank you!_


	2. All Tied Up

Adrien fidgeted nervously. Volpina had dragged him to the top of the Eiffel Tower and tied him to a chair.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir will know exactly where we are," she sneered. "That way I can wipe out Paris's heroes and no one will be able to stop me from getting what I really want."

"Lila," Adrien started, "I'm not something you can own." Volpina just pointed her staff at Adrien threateningly.

"I think you should stop talking, Adrien," Volpina growled, but her attention was drawn by the sound of feet hitting the metal.

"No, I think it's you who needs to stop." Volpina turned around to see Ladybug standing behind her. Adrien perked up at the sight of the superhero.

"Ladybug!" Adrien called. Ladybug darted around Volpina quick enough to untie him. Volpina was too stunned to react. She hadn't thought Ladybug would go for Adrien before her.

"It's going to be more difficult than that, Ladybug," Volpina shouted. With a note of her pipe, she created dozens of copies of Adrien. Each one of them claimed to be the real one, and they all asked for Ladybug to save them.

Marinette almost lost her cool. She was surrounded by so many Adriens that she was having a little trouble processing. Volpina used the distraction to escape and regroup.

The real Adrien, however, took the opportunity to sneak away from Ladybug and transform into Chat Noir. Chat Noir hurried to Ladybug's side shortly before the illusions disappeared, leaving the two of them standing there alone.

"Volpina is back, and she has Adrien, from the last incident, held hostage. She must've used those illusions to escape with him," Ladybug updated her partner. "We can split up to try and locate them," she said in a hurry. Without another word, she swung off on her yo-yo.

"Sure," Chat Noir shrugged and said to himself,"let's go with that." He took off after his partner and in search of Lila.

"STOP!" ChatNoir heard Ladybug screech. It didn't take him long to locate them after hearing her voice.

Volpina was dangling and Adrien illusion over the side of one of the taller buildings in Paris. Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Resorting to the same tricks again, Volpina? Where's your creativity?" Chat Noir joked. Ladybug looked at her partner worriedly.

"It's up to you two to decide if I'm bluffing or not. Either you two sacrifice yourselves, or the boy dies," she ordered. "I'll allow you one minute to make your decision because I'm so gracious."

"She's lying, Ladybug," Chat Noir said immediately in a hushed tone. "Take her out." Ladybug shook her head stubbornly.

"What if she's not?" Ladybug asked. "I know him, and I don't want to see him dead." Chat Noir looked at her so that they were eye to eye.

"I'm telling you to trust me. I know she's lying. I'll destroy that column so the debris will catch her. Take her necklace," Chat Noir ordered.

"Chat," Ladybug panicked, "what if she's _not,_ though? We can't...I can't lose him."

"Times up!" Lila shouted at them. "Are two going to go out peacefully or send him to his death."

 _"Trust me,"_ Chat Noir hissed to his partner. Against her will and ever instinct, Ladybug dove forward after Lila. Chat Noir used his cataclysm on the debris to trap her.

As soon as the debris fell on Lila, both she and Adrien disappeared. Chat Noir sighed.

"I guess I wasted my cataclysm," Chat Noir said frustratedly. Ladybug looked at him oddly.

"How did you know it was an illusion? You did last time too," she asked him oddly. Chat Noir laughed and shrugged it off.

"I told you, it's my feline sixth sense," he replied. "Now, we should really go track them down."

"She's probably going somewhere she knows he'll be," Ladybug thought aloud as the superheroes went back to the Effiel Tower to survey the town.

Chat Noir grinned. He had a small hunch as to where Lila would be. He pointed towards the movie theater where he'd been with Marinette.

"We should go that way. I have a hunch about where she is," he told Ladybug. Ladybug shrugged and nodded.

"We might as well try your idea," Ladybug agreed. Chat Noir winked.

"Milday, I'm _paw_ sitive I'm right," he said before jumping off. Ladybug followed with a role of her eyes, but she couldn't keep from smiling at her partner's antics.

Chat Noir touched down just before Ladybug, and he hurried into the movie theater. Marinette recognized the place, and she wondered why Chat Noir had thought to bring them here. She just chalked it up to that "sixth sense" he mentioned.

"Give it up, Lila," Chat Noir called to the super-villain. Volpina spun around to see the two partners standing in the lobby behind her.

"I won't give it up until I find Adrien," she growled. Ladybug sighed frustratedly. This was costing her a date.

"It's time to end this. Lucky charm!" A long rod with a magnet on the end appeared in her hands.

"What am I going to do with this?" Ladybug asked herself. Chat Noir looked at her worriedly.

"I don't know, but let's wrap this up. I'm about to change back," Chat Noir told her. Ladybug's vision showed her the key parts of her plan, and she grabbed Chat Noir's hand.

"I've got it! Give me a hand," she ordered. Ladybug threw her yo-yo around one of the rafters and launched the two of them up above Volpina.

"Use the magnet to get her necklace," Ladybug hissed. It took her strength and both hands to keep them suspended above Lila.

While Lila tried to get away, Chat Noir swung the mganet down and pulled the necklace off of her neck. Ladybug broke it against the beam and used the dangling end of her yo-yo to purify the akuma.

Lila stormed off angrily. In her mind, she worried about becoming a villain twice ruining her popular reputation, and she didn't want to be anywhere near the two superheros.

"That was wonderful, Bugaboo, but would you be so kind as to let us down before we change back?" Chat Noir asked.

"Ch-chat?" Ladybug stuttered in a whispered voice. The movie theater had been evacuated, so they were left dangling alone.

"We have a problem," Ladybug said in an oddly quiet voice. All of her confidence seemed to be gone.

"What's going on?" Chat Noir said worriedly.

He twisted to try and face her in midair, and he went pale as he realized what she meant.

"The yo-yo string is in knots," Ladybug whimpered. "It's indistructable." One of Paris's greatest heroes took a shaky breath like she was more frightened than she'd been of any villain. Their miraculous made the familiar beeping noise that warned them their time was running out.

"We're stuck."

 _Yay, I actually got a second chapter done! I guess it was a little cliche, but I'm already trying to think of ways to make it up to you. I've been distracted by some Supernatural and Hetalia fanfics I've got in the works, so I'll try my best to keep my writing quality up. Thank you all so much for reading! ~Magine_


	3. Slip Up

_Alright! Sorry this chapter took so long! I've been fishing through so many ideas, and I'm glad it's finally up. I'm trying to sort through all of my ideas, and get through a new school without any friends :), but I'm making it work. These stories are like my children that brighten my life, along with all of you. Thank you all! Enjoy! ~Magine_

This wasn't good. Alarm bells were going off in Marinette's head. There was no way she was going to transform back into Marinette with Chat Noir in the room.

"Don't look!" Marinette shouted as light enveloped them both. The two superheroes were still suspended in the air back to back.

"Milady?" Chat Noir whispered. "What do we do now?" Ladybug didn't respond, and Chat was about to get her attention again, when he heard her sniff.

"L-ladybug? Are you okay?" he said worriedly.

He felt Ladybug shake her head from behind him.

"I was supposed to be on a date with a guy I really like. I'm just tired of this job taking away the time I have to sleep, always making me late, and screwing up my personal life. I love it, but it's driving me crazy." Marinette didn't know what had happened. The words had just spilled out all at once.

Chat Noir couldn't help feeling a little sad when she talked about having a date, but he reminded himself that he was on one too. Chat felt the air around his hand until he managed to find Ladybug's hand.

"It's going to be okay, Ladybug. No guy would be idiotic enough to let you go." He squeezed her hand softly. "I promise to do whatever I can do to help you get some of your time back," he assured her.

Ladybug smiled. "Thanks. I guess the worst part about this was that my date got stolen by Volpina," she laughed. Chat Noir froze.

 _There's no way,_ Adrien thought to himself. _Ladybug is Marinette. They're one and the same._ He didn't have time to keep thinking, because the exhausted kawamii managed to pick themselves up off of the floor.

"Thank goodness!" Ladybug exclaimed."Tikki, there's a cookie in my bag down there!" Tikki nodded and retrieved the cookie from Marinette's bag. Plaggwas already eating some of the popcorn from behind the movie counter.

"It's not camembert, but it's pretty good," Plagg said happily.

"Your kawami is so adorable," Ladybug giggled. Plagg smiled and flew over in front of Marinette.

"See, someone appreciates my charm," Plagg said to Chat Noir. Tikki frowned at him.

"Plagg, you know we shouldn't know who each other's masters are," Tikki complained. Plagg just laughed.

"We already knew, didn't we?" Plagg asked rhetorically. "It is pretty obvious." Tikki sighed, but she couldn't keep from smiling.

"Fine, but I still get a look at your master." Tikki flew around in front of Adrien and laughed. "It was pretty obvious," she agreed.

"You two have met before?" Ladybug asked and Plagg nodded.

"Of course, we've known each other for thousands of years," he said like it should've been obvious.

"It has been a while since we've been out and spoken like this," Tikki said a little sadly. Plagg laughed a little.

"It doesn't change the fact that I'm here whenever you need me," he said a little shyly.

Ladybug laughed.

"I think it's time for us to change back," she told the two kawamii. Plagg and Tikki nodded,

and the two heroes both called out their respective phrases.

"One problem, bugaboo, we're still stuck," Chat Noir laughed. Ladybug started looking around.

"If we can find the end of the yo-yo and get it unstuck then the rest should come apart," she explained. Chat Noir happened to find the end of the yo-yo and pulled the string.

The string unraveled in a matter of seconds and left the two of them to tumble to the floor.

Ladybug hurriedly stood up and brushed herself off.

"I'm going to go check on Adrien and see if he made it home," Ladybug said worriedly before taking off. Chat Noir just un transformed into Adrien and stared at Plagg.

"Plagg, we sort of have a problem," Adrien said to the small floating cat. "Something Ladybug said tipped me off to who she is," he confessed.

"Well, then, who do you think she is?" Plagg asked. Adrien looked down at the floor.

"Ladybug is Marinette," he whispered. Plagg smiled and flew onto Adrien's shoulder.

"Don't worry. Ladybug and Chat Noir always find out who each other is. It always happens. The hard part will be breaking it to her," Plagg informed him.

"Oh crap! I almost forgot! I need to be home by the time Marinette gets there," Adrien yelped. He quickly transformed in Chat Noir and took off towards his house.

ccoocc

Ladybug hopped through the window of Adrien's room. Of course, Chat Noir had already arrived shortly before her. He turned on the shower so it sounded like he was in the bathroom.

Ladybug sighed. _He's in the shower, so he's safe,_ she thought to herself. Chat Noir came in through the open window behind her.

"Is the civilian safe, Bugaboo?" Chat Noir asked in his usually flirty tone. To Ladybug, IT seemed almost...sadder than usual?

"Yeah, he's okay," Ladybug assured him. "Are you alright, Chat? You seem a little troubled." Chat Noir just smiled.

"Trust me, milady, I'm just _purr_ fect," he pinned. Ladybug didn't believe him for a second, but she ruffled his hair and smiled.

"Alright, Chat. We should probably both be heading out for patrol," she said reluctantly.

ChatNoir shook his head. "I assured you that I'd start taking more patrols to give you some of your life back," he reminded her. Honestly, he didn't think he could face her while still knowing who she was.

"Thankyou, kitty," she saidgratefully. Chat Noir hopped on the windowsill with a wave.

"Bye, Marinette," hecalled and went off to patrol. It took both him and Marinette a few seconds to realize what happened.

Ladybug bit her lip, and her eyes went wide in shock. She barely saw anything around her, and her heart started to beat faster.

 _Did he just call me Marinette?_


	4. Let's Play a Game

They were both pacing. Adrien had been too scared to go back and confess what he knew, and Marinette had no idea who Chat Noir was. Of course, their situation was beyond complicated, and neither of them knew how to fix it.

Unfortunately, they both still had to report to school the next day. As weird as Marinette usually acted around Adrien, today the roles were switched.

Adrien seemed nervous and panicky, while Marinette seemed more distanced and relaxed.

"I'm sorry about our date yesterday, Adrien," Marinette said when school began. She smiled at him from her desk. "I think that I've got some things to clear up some feelings with someone I care about before we try this again." Adrien nodded.

"I understand," he nodded. Adrien was silently hoping it was Chat Noir. Heck, he was nearly to the point of hoping out loud.

School seemed to drag on forever, and Adrien found himself almost wishing for an akuma attack to have a reason to see Ladybug (Marinette?). It was still confusing to think of them as the same person.

Finally, the bell rang, and Adrien ran out of class to head to patrol as quickly as possible. He paced around their platform on the Eiffel Tower until Ladybug arrived.

"How did you figure it?" she asked after a moment of silence. Chat Noir smiled at her.

"I don't know how I could've missed it. Honestly, it was when you told me that Volpina took your date," Chat Noir admitted.

"How would you...? That doesn't make any sense," Ladybug protested.

"It makes a whole lot of sense...if you know who I am," Chat Noir grumbled.

Marinette sighed and ran her hair through her hair. "I can't believe I'm asking this, but who are you, Chat?" Chat Noir just laughed.

"It's a secret," he smirked and wiggles his eyebrows. Ladybug groaned.

"That's not fair! You know me, so I should get to know you too!" Marinette shouted. Chat Noir shook his head.

"I think you should figure it out before I tell you. We could make this a little game," he offered and spun his tail around in his hand.

"You get one guess per day, and only try to guess if you think you've got a clue. If you get it right, then I'll tell you."

"You should _at least_ give me a hint," Ladybug sighed. Chat Noir smiled and shrugged.

"Alright, I'm not heartless. You get two questions a day to try and figure this out," he offered. Ladybug laughed softly.

"You're too difficult, Chat," she chuckled. Chat Noir slung an arm around her shoulder carelessly.

"That's part of my charm, bugaboo." The two of them laughed, and it was one of the few times Marinette didn't mind laughing at how silly Chat was being. Honestly, she couldn't deny that she might be developing feelings for the boy under the mask.

"What's your first question, milady?" Chat Noir asked. The two of them walked around the circumference of the platform they were on and scanned the streets for any sign of danger.

"Oh, uuuuuum, how about favorite color," Ladybug panicked. Chat Noir shook his head in mock shame.

"That's the best you've got?" he asked teasingly. Ladybug rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully.

"Just answer the question, furball," she ordered. Chat Noir shrugged.

"It changes. Some days it's green, some days it's blue, and some days it's every color," he answered. "Do you want to ask your second question now, Marrrrinette?" Chat Noir rolled the r to sound like a cat purring. Ladybug nodded and stopped walking. Chat turned around to make a joke, but he stopped when he saw the look on her face. It was lined with worry, and he stopped to stand in front of her silently.

"What do you think of me...behind the mask, that is?" Marinette whispered. Chat's eyes widened and he took her hands in his. He didn't have a clue about all of the worries Marinette had about herself when she wasn't being Ladybug. Yet, he could see all of them etched on her face.

"I think that you're even more _purr_ fect with this mask off than you are with it on," he whispered back. Ladybug simultaneously groaned and laughed at his pun.

"Thank you, Chat," she smiled. "Now, it's time to actually get some work done tonight. Even if there aren't any akumas, we should survey the whole city." Chat Noir lightly grabbed her wrist before she could take off to go scanning the city.

"Actually, I've been curious about something," Chat Noir stopped her. Ladybug tilted her head.

"What is it?" she asked. Chat just took them over to one of the support pillars and sat them down on the ground.

"Just out of curiousity, close your eyes and stay silent for a few minutes," Chat Noir directed.

Ladybug looked at him suspiciously. "Why? What do you have in mind?"

"Just humor me," he prodded. Ladybug scoffed, but she releuctantly complied.

It had barely been half a minute before her breathing evened out and Ladybug fell asleep. Adrien knew how little sleep he got, and he was right to assume that it was around the same for Marinette. He managed to maneuver so that he could carry her and used his baton to go back to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

"Tikki, can you, uh, detransform her?" Chat Noir asked awkwardly. It was a long shot, but Tikki detransformed her and floated above the sleeping Marinette.

"Giving us both more sleep? I don't care what Marinette says, you're a real hero," Tikki said appreciatively. Chat Noir nodded and did his signature bow like an admission of his service. He carried Marinette off her balcony and into her room. Gently, he sat her down and looked up.

That was _a lot_ of his face. Like, _a lot._ The sheer amount of pictures on the wall was absurd.He knew he didn't typically like girls who liked him for his fame, but seeing his modeling pictures on her walls just didn't see as weird to him.

"Goodnight, Tikki," Chat Noir whispered. "Goodnight, Marinette."

With that, the young superhero took off back to his house and detransformed. This was going to be a fun game to play.

 _Thank you guys sooooo much for sticking with me! I'm sorry this chapter took forever to upload, but I'm working on them whenever I get the time. Your comments and support mean the world. Thank you! ~Magine_


	5. No Way

"Are you very popular?" Marinette asked Chat Noir. He was sitting on her balcony, and she was doing her best to figure out who he was.

"I don't see myself that way, but most people would consider me popular," he answered and jumped down from the railing. Marinette laughed softly when he came and sat down in front of her chair. He looked way too much like a patient cat. Marinette couldn't help but laugh.

"We have to go on patrol soon, Chat," she reminded him. Marinette stood up out of her chair, and she headed to her room to get Tikki. Chat followed her obediently with a sigh.

Chat Noir frowned and flopped dramatically onto a chair in her room. "I don't wanna," he whined. Marinette chuckled.

"You're being overly dramatic today," she noted. Chat just smiled.

"That's only because I want to spend more time with milady," he shot back with a wink. Marinette rolled her eyes, but she couldn't keep herself from smiling.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette shouted. Chat Noir smiled when he saw her become Ladybug. It was easy to be comfortable with the mask he already knew.

"Ready to patrol, milady?" Chat Noir asked. Marinette nodded and the two took off to the Effiel Tower. Of course, they'd barely gotten there when they spotted another akumatised villain ransacking the town.

"That's...interesting," Ladybug squeaked. The newest villain was made entirely of water. It was turning everything it touched into a body of water that simply stayed frozen in place but untouchable.

"How are we supposed to beat something like this?!" Chat Noir groaned. The two of them didn't have much time to think before they had to hurry to follow the akuma victim into a building.

The girl seemed to be crying in everything that she did. She didn't even seem to be causing harm on purpose. Ladybug and Chat Noir tried to keep her occupied, but there was only so much slashing and throwing they could do with a baton and a yo-yo.

"Uh, milady, not to _purr_ essure you, but now would be a good time to use that lucky charm," Chat Noir called nervously.

Ladybug nodded. "Lucky charm!" A key fell from the air into her hands. "What am I supposed to do with this? This is even weirder than normal," she grumbled.

Chat Noir jumped over a blast of water from the akumatized girl. "I don't know, but figure it out soon, milady?"

Ladybug scanned the room for an answer, and the only thing that lit up was a door. The pieces clinked into place in her head.

"Chat!" Ladybug shouted and ran over there. She made a sign with her hand to show him that he needed to run in as soon as she opened it. Chat nodded in recognition.

Ladybug yanked the door open, and Chat ran in to lure the akuma. The girl ran after him, but the second she ran in she froze. Literally. The room Ladybug had unlocked was the freezer of he building, and the girl's teardrop shaped necklace gleamed.

Ladybug took the necklace off and broke it, revealing the akuma. She de-evilized the little butterfly and waved as it flew away. With a toss of the key, she reset everything back to normal.

"Pound it," she said in unison with Chat as she fistbumped him. The girl shook her head and sat up.

"What happened?" she said groggily. Chat helped her up.

"You were akumatized," he explained, and the girl looked down sadly.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized. "My best friend and I got into a huge fight, and he just left and walked away. I started crying, and I must've been akumatized." The girl pulled her knees up to her chest, but she quickly recovered and stood up.

"Thank you both. I don't know what I would've done if I'd really hurt someone," she smiled. Ladybug and Chat Noir nodded to her and left. The two met back up at the Eiffel Tower.

"Hey, Marinette?" Chat said softly. He looked at the other superhero and smiled. "Don't give up on another crush simply because of me. I'd prefer to fairly beat the competition," he laughed. Chat was thinking back to what Marinette had told him as Adrien in the classroom. "I want to win your heart regardless of the mask." Chat gently took Ladybug's hand, and to his surprise, she didn't pull away.

"What's your favorite food?" Ladybug asked suddenly. Chat Noir blinked. That wasn't what he'd been expecting her to say. It took him a second to remeber the game that they were playing.

"My favorite food is macaroons," he answered simply. Ladybug nodded and smiled down at her hands.

"No wonder you're so sweet," she joked with a blush. Chat Noir just laughed. The two stood in silence while Marinette tried to think of who he could be. More importantly, when she found out who he was, would she choose Chat Noir...or Adrien?

All she knew was that standing here holding his hand, she felt at home. Ladybug's eyes widened. _It can't be,_ she thought to herself. The beginnings of an idea began to take place in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more accurate it seemed.

"Are you okay?" Chat Noir asked her. She'd become shaky and shocked, like she'd seen a ghost. Ladybug looked up at him. If she was right, then she was a huge idiot. How could she have not know who Chat Noir really was?

 _No way,_ she thought, _there's no way he's..._

 _Thank you sooooo much for all of the kind reviews. I'm sorry that this chapter is a little short. I was trying to write a sort of filler chapter just to try and get inspired for what I'm going to do next. I've had a ton of work to do lately, and my sleep and happiness have both been lacking lately. I was feeling a little better today, so I finished this one up for you. Thank you for your patience, and I promise I'll do my best to update more soon. Love you~Magine_


	6. Confessions

"Milady, are you okay?" Chat Noir asked worriedly. Ladybug just continued to look at Chat Noir, and quietly whispered the order for Tikki to detransform.

"I th-think I figured out who you are," Marinette stuttered. "So I'm going to do this without the mask."

Chat Noir nodded and sat down. "Go ahead."

"You're obviously blond haired and green eyed. You're kind and you radiate like the sun to everyone around you." Marinette stood up and touched the edges of his mask. "You show love and bravery and every other wonderful trait of humanity. You're the best guy in my class, and I can't believe I didn't notice this sooner. The only guy who could compare to you is you...Adrien Agreste." Chat Noir smiled.

"Claws off, Plagg," he whispered. Marinette felt the black mask slip away from underneath her hands. Plagg laughed.

"It took you long enough to figure it out," Plagg chuckled. "I mean sure you can't really tell who the other is because of the magic, but _still..."_ Tikki just glared at Plagg.

"They can't help it, you silly cat," she grumbled. Tikki tried to insult him, but she wasn't very good at that.

"Um, can the two of us talk for a second...alone?" Adrien asked the two kwamiis. Tikki smiled and dragged Plaggoff so the two of them could talk.

"I'm sorry," Adrien said. "I didn't mean to figure out who you are. I know you wanted to keep things a secret," he apologized. Marinette just laughed.

"Silly kitty, we both know I can be quite crazy at times. Judging from our kwamiis' reactions, I don't think I had much to worry about in the first place. Honestly, I was slightly worried it would knock us out of sink, or you might have hated the real me," she admitted and shrugged sheepishly. "I can't help that sometimes I react before I let myself think."

Adrien gently took her hand. "I think that just adds to your charm, milady," he laughed. Marinette blushed.

"There's something that I've been meaning to do for a while now," Marinette laughed nervously. "I think that right now would be the perfect time."

Adrien titled his head. "What is it, milady?" he asked. Marinette looked up at met his eyes.

"This," she whispered. In the spance of a second, she laced her arms around his neck and pulled him forward to him. It was short, sweet, and maybe a little awkward. Neither of them cared a bit. All that mattered is that they finally got to be together in a way that didn't require any sacrifices.

"What does this mean for us?" Adrien asked. Marinette shrugged and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"It means that we're partners, just like we've always been. Now, Marinette and Adrien are partners and not just Chat Noir and Ladybug," she answered.

"You two might be the most adorable Chat Noir and Ladybug in centuries," Tikki giggled. Marinette and Adrien spun around to see their two kwamiis sitting there watching them.

"We asked you to excuse us for a minute," Adrien groaned. Plagg shrugged.

"We came back after a minute," he said simply. Tikki and Marinette started laughing, and Tikki flew over to rest on Marinette's shoulder.

"Our silly kitties," Tikki chuckled. Marinette nodded and smiled happily. Adrien couldn't keep being upset after he saw how happy she was.

Of course, the moment had to be ruined. A loud roar sounded from the other side of town, and the two superheros sighed.

"Duty calls," Tikki said. Marinette and Adrien both called for them to transform, and they were soon standing there as the two superheros of Paris.

"Don't forget, we're still a team. Things don't have to be awkward just because of this," Ladybug reminded him nervously.

"Don't worry, milady. If anything, I think it'll be easier to work as a team now," Chat Noir replied with a wink.

It didn't take them long to reach the spot where the newest akuma was. The newest akuma was, however, a ten foot tall panther. It's only goal seemed to be to cause as much havoc and destruction as possible.

Chat Noir seemed confused as the followed the panther, trying to find some way to slow it down. With the animal causing so much destruction already, there didn't seem to be any practical use for his cataclysm. Ladybug motioned for Chat Noir to meet her on a rooftop as they barely managed to save a woman from under the panther's paws.

"I've got an idea," she told him,"and we may not even have to use our extra abilities." Chat Noir yawned.

"That's good. It's too late for Hawkmoth to be sending us akumas," he grumbled. Ladybug laughed and ruffled his ears.

"Just cover me," she ordered. Ladybug swung her yo-yo so that she landed on the pather's back. ChatNoir watched nervously until he figured out what she was doing. She was petting the panther behind the ears, exactly where he knew it was the most effective. The panther let out a sleepy purr, and slowly lied down on the grown.

When the panther uncurled its paw, there was a small blue and white night cap in it. Marinette picked it up and ripped it in half, releasing the akuma.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," she waved after clensing the akuma. Chat Noir met her on the ground to give her a fist bump after she threw the night cap into the air.

"I think that we can afford to go and get some sleep tonight," Chat Noir said happily. Ladybug sighed gratefully.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow, kitty?" Ladybug asked. Chat Noir nodded and winked.

"Count on it, bugaboo," he replied. The two superheros took off and went back to their homes, the night's events completely exhausting the two heros.

 _Not much more left in this now! I'm sorry for the inconsistency, but IB work has really been slowing me down. I'm not really happy with this chapter, but I really wanted to get over my writer's block. Thanks for all of your wonderful comments and support. Until next time!~ Magine_


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